ESV—For Want of a B
by VST
Summary: Young Hoenreid Battle-worn, distant but disgraced and unclaimed cousin to the famous clan, wants nothing more than to earn atonement for his father's misdeeds and win back the "B" in his name. Events in the town of Helgen lead to an unexpected opportunity to do just that...if he can keep up. Repost with new Chapter 3! 10/11/19. Fantasy/Adventure/Humor.
1. Chapter 1: A Quiet Sundas Morning

**ESV—For Want of a "B"  
**By VStarTraveler

_**Summary:**__ Young Hoenreid Battle-worn, distant but disgraced and unclaimed cousin to the famous clan, wants nothing more than to earn atonement for his father's misdeeds and win back the "B" in his name. Events in the town of Helgen lead to an unexpected opportunity to do just that...if he can keep up. Fantasy/Adventure/Humor.  
_

**_**Disclaimer:** _**_This story is a slightly AU work of fiction, written totally for fun and not for profit. The various characters, places, and events mentioned remain the property of their respective owners.  
_

* * *

_**Chapter 1: ****A Quiet Sundas Morning**_

_4E 201 — Sundas, 17th of Last Seed_

Drawing to a stop, young Hoenreid decided that this was a good spot for his flock to graze. The little valley was open to the sky and wide enough that he'd have a moment to prepare if any beasts were to come out of the surrounding forest to make a run at his sheep. The last of the morning mists were burning off, so the sun would be overhead shortly to warm him and the sheep.

"Okay, guys and gals, munch away!" he called. Planting his staff in front of him, he leaned against it and counted. "...eight, nine, ten. And little Alvie."

Hoenreid didn't want to be a shepherd, but circumstances dictated that would be his task for the foreseeable future, so he stood, watching, as his eyes scanned his surroundings. His father, the Coward of Rensan, had abandoned him over two years before, so the boy had made do with what he could, using his skills (as few as they were), his wit, and his speech to survive. Few would offer such a young lad a job, but after finally stumbling into that first job as a shepherd, he'd gained a coin and something far more valuable that he would be able to use for years to come: experience.

Thus, for nearly two years, Hoenreid had been able to truthfully claim experience as a shepherd to prospective employers while actually gaining more experience each time in doing it. He was quite fortunate to have a good record, too; he'd never lost a single sheep while he was on duty. He'd driven off wolves on several occasions, and had even seen a bear in the distance on two others. He wasn't sure if his little knife or staff would be effective against such beasts if they ever tried to approach, but he would do his best to defend his charges. He was still practicing with his sling and hoped that, someday, he'd be good enough to use it to drive away creatures before they could get close.

With all secure, he pulled the sling and a stone out of his pouch, and then picked out a boulder in the distance. That, he decided, would be Hogrid Battle-worn, the Great Coward, his father, whose actions had led to him being kicked out of Clan Battle-born, with his birthright and all familial honors stripped away. That boulder would be where young Hoenreid could take out his aggressions about his father's misdeeds and his own luck at being known as Battle-worn rather than Battle-born as he so desperately wanted.

With the sling spinning rapidly, the boy launched the stone, with his index finger pointing directly at the target as he released it. The stone sailed, quickly, right past the boulder, landing some yards beyond. One of the sheep bleeted at the sound, causing several others to look up. When nothing was noted, they all resumed their eating.

For the next fifteen minutes, the boy practiced, landing glancing glows on the boulder on a couple of occasions, but missing far more often than not. He watched his flock carefully, too, and had to go grab Alvie, who was wandering too far away from his mother and the others.

"Time out again, Alvie. Someday soon, you'll learn." Hoenreid slipped a loop over the lamb's head and tied it to his belt to keep him from wandering away again. Hoenreid counted his sheep again and then lined up again for another shot at the Coward rock.

His sling was spinning again when a cloud suddenly passed overhead, casting darkness below for a second, before the sunshine returned. Hoenreid wound the sling to a stop to look up in the sky but no cloud was visible. Thinking it strange, he looked around again, and then turned to count his sheep once more.

He was on "five" when the darkness returned from behind him, but this time when he looked up, he was shocked to see a gigantic form sailing past to land amidst his flock. With horns, immense wings, and scales, it could only be a dragon of legend. Hoenreid was frightened, not knowing what to do against such a large opponent, when the beast's head shot into the milling flock. Several sheep were tossed by the beast's horns, and several more were trapped in its huge maw.

The sound of the cracking bones of his charges was enough to shake Hoenreid from his fright. He picked up his staff and ran, screaming, toward the dragon. He'd made it only a step when he realized he was entangled; little Alvie was being dragged along behind him and Hoenreid had the little creature's leash wrapped around his leg. He reached down to untie the string, but that was when the dragon looked his way.

Craning its neck toward Hoenreid, the dragon sent a gout of flame came sailing toward him.

The boy threw himself to the side, yanking Alvie along to avoid roasted lamblet. Hoenreid rolled and rolled to an upright position facing the dragon, but the dragon was no longer concerned about him. Instead, it turned to feast on the remaining sheep.

The young shepherd reached for his knife to cut Alvie's string, but it, along with his staff, had been lost when he escaped the dragon's breath. Seeing his last sheep, other than little Alvie, being devoured by the beast, he realized that he no longer had any reason to remain but the ensuing look from the dragon froze him in his tracks.

Almost shaking in his boots, the boy saw the dragon's focus change from him toward little Alvie, who was now several feet away nibbling on some unburned grass as if nothing had happened. The massive beast's head cocked to the side and it was about to take a step toward the little lamb when Hoenreid shouted, "Hey! Dragon! You leave him alone!"

If a dragon can actually look surprised, that must have been the gaze that Hoenreid received when the eyes refocused on him. With his sling spinning, Hoenreid took that moment to launch his rock, his finger pointing directly between the dragon's eyes as he released it.

The dragon watched the rock sail in its direction and then fly several feet over its head, landing well beyond and bouncing to a stop in the meadow. When the beast turned back toward the stupid boy, it was even more surprised to see the boy running into the woods with little Alvie draped around his neck on his shoulders.

The sound the dragon made may be some strange noise only known to dragons, or it could well have been a laugh, but whichever it was, it lasted for only a few seconds. Having no time to deal with such an inconsequential pest, the beast launched itself into the air and headed south to the little town of Helgen.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Thanks for reading! Your views and any comments, reviews, follows, or favorites are greatly appreciated.  
_

_Please note that I posted the first two chapters of this story a while back but they were bombed with numerous spam reviews. The FanFiction administrators didn't respond to numerous requests to remove them, so I took down the original and have reposted with a new chapter. Thanks for your understanding._


	2. Chapter 2: Quiet No More

_**Chapter 2: ****Quiet No More**_

With little Alvie bouncing on his shoulders, Hoenreid ran toward the town of Helgen to escape from the dragon and to report what had happened.

"Just hold on, Alvie! We'll be safe in town in just a little while!"

Though he knew it would take a little longer, he stayed in the woods as he ran rather than taking the regular path, hoping to keep out of sight in case the dragon flew overhead again looking for one more Hoenreid and Alvie-sized snack.

While he ran, his mind was churning. The flock was gone and Master Ricketsen would likely never believe his seemingly outlandish tale of the dragon attack; it would be long gone and the man would want to take the loss out of Hoenreid's pay, if not out of his hide. Hoenreid would have to work for months or even years to cover the loss.

Even worse, the boy knew he'd never, ever get another job as a shepherd so he didn't know what he would do to support himself after Master Ricketsen finally released him. He didn't want to end up in the orphanage in Riften. He'd heard horrible tales of that place and believed he might rather face another round with the dragon rather than being forced to go there._  
_

Finally, he was also worried about little Alvie, since the lamb's mother was one of those who unwillingly participated in the dragon's feast. What would Master Ricketsen do with the little lamb?

Hoenreid's imagination about the situation was churning as he neared the town, but he suddenly drew up short. He sniffed the air a couple of times to confirm his thought. Something nearby was on fire. While there was always the smell of smoke from fireplaces and pits near towns in Skyrim, this smell different. It was sharper, thicker, and painful to his nose. He slowed to a walk, looking up, peering up through the trees and trying to see if there was smoke in the sky above. When he finally caught sight of the black smoke, he confirmed that it appeared to be coming from the direction of Helgen.

When he reached the edge of the wood, saw thick smoke pouring out of the town. Always a danger in such towns, it looked like something had caught fire and it appeared to be spreading. Knowing he would be needed on the bucket brigade, he took a quick look upward to make sure there was no dragon overhead and then started sprinting for the town gate.

When he arrived at the town gate, he was surprised that the usual guard wasn't present. Even more surprising, the gate was cracked open. Alvie, on his shoulders, wasn't happy about it but Hoenreid leaned into it and eventually succeeded in opening it just enough that he and the lamb could slip through. When he did, he was shocked at what he saw. The whole place appeared to be in flames. Even worse, there were several charred hulks on the ground that he suspected might be burned people. Feeling sick at his stomach at the sight, he squawked, "Alvie, the Stormcloaks must have attacked!"

Knowing he had to get Alvie and himself somewhere safe, he did what people in the little town knew to do. He rushed toward the keep. He'd only gone a short distance, however, before another thought struck him. What if it wasn't the Stormcloaks? What if it was the dragon?_  
_

With flames seemingly everywhere, he rushed onward, first down an alley, and then into the courtyard. He was just crossing it when heard a roar. Stopping where he was, he turned to see the same giant dragon overhead. Alvie's frightened bleat caused Hoenreid to hold the lamb on his shoulders tighter as he backed away, hoping the dragon hadn't seen or heard him.

He'd backed up several feet when he turned to run, only to trip over the handle of giant axe. He fell forward, squeezing his eyes closed and throwing one arm forward to try to slow his fall while the other held tight to the lamb on his shoulders. Alvie's plaintive bleat registered his complaint.

Hoenreid's fall was somewhat cushioned by the body of a dead, young Nord woman whose hands were tied behind her back. Hoenreid received a surprise when the dead body grunted and suddenly came back to life. The woman, who'd apparently only been unconcious, pried her eyes open and looked up at the kid, who was struggling to get up off of her without dropping the little lamb.

"Kid, quick! Cut me loose."

Hoenreid looked at the woman, in her late teens or early twenties, who appeared to be a rough sort, covered with dirt, soot, and a tangled mop of hair. The boy struggled to one knee and reached for his knife when he remembered having dropped it while escaping from the dragon's blast. "I...I don't have anything to cut with!"

"The bloody headsman's axe is right behind you, fool. Drag it over here and tilt it up so I can use it."

The dragon shot another gout of flames at something nearby, and Hoenreid could feel the heat from that and the fires burning all around him. He knew that time was short; the dragon's gaze would catch them in seconds and they would be the target's of its next blast. Therefore, he hurried, pulling on the axe with one hand and still trying to keep Alvie in place with the other, and then tipping the blade up. "It's right behind your hands. I'll hold it while you cut yourself free."

The woman cursed as she cut himself on the sharp blade before it ever connected with her bonds, but they fell away seconds later. She rose unsteadily to her feet and then said to Hoenreid, "You better run find somewhere safe, kid. If you want to live, anyway. I know that's what I'm doing." The young woman limped away without even thanking him.

Hoenreid frowned as he looked around the courtyard trying to find that "somewhere safe" the woman had mentioned, but he saw nowhere that gave him that impression, no place that looked like a refuge. Remembering that the woman had said she'd be going somewhere safe and figuring that the woman must know something he didn't, Hoenreid turned and said, "Hold on, Alvie!" as he started running after her.

~ESV~

It was little while later when, in the Helgen keep, the young woman finally caught sight of Hoenreid following her. She was holding a bloody blade in her hand but did nothing to conceal it. "Kid, you're following me. Did you see what happened here?"

"Yes, m'lady. You handled them well."

"Listen, kid, I ain't nobody's lady. You ever call me that again and you'll be sorry."

"Yes, ma'am."

Looking at the little bastard and realizing that he didn't even understand what he'd done, she huffed and turned away, only to have the kid with the lamb follow along behind her.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_Thanks for reading and for any reviews, follows, or favorites._

_You're also invited to check out Arcs 1 and 2 of "ESV—A Face in the Crowd." Both story arcs are complete and a third arc is currently being developed._


	3. Chapter 3: A Hive of Scum and Villainy

**_Chapter 3: A Hive of Scum and Villainy_**

For the next couple of hours, Hoenreid continued following, but he frequently moved up to help when she seemed to need it. She practically growled at him the first few times. The next few were frowns, and when he showed her the way after she got lost, she finally said, grudgingly, "Thanks."

On emerging from the cave system, they sat down on a rocky outcropping and he shared some of the food he'd picked up in the base of the Keep. While she ate hungrily, he watched her. She was old, probably at least twenty or thirty, he decided, but that was just a guess since Master Ricketsen's daughter was that age and she looked a little like her. She drained a bottle of Nord ale and shook the bottle upside down ineffectually when no more came out. She was a about to fling the bottle to break it when Hoenreid said, "Don't do that. There's a stream nearby where we can fill it up."

"Fill it up? With what?"

"Water."

"Oh, Divines. Why me?"

Hoenreid shook his head, not sure what she meant, but when she said nothing else, he said, "It's a long way to Whiterun, so we'll need some water to take with us if we're going to make it there to tell the jarl about the dragon."

"Kid, I don't know where you got that idea, but that's not anywhere in my plan."

"But, Ma'am, we need to let him know. Or maybe the new jarl in Falkreath, though Master Ricketsen said he was about as useless as tits on a boar hog."

She stared at him for a moment before breaking out in laughter. The boy looked at her questioningly again, but she finally shook her head.

"Forget it, kid. Just know this: I got nothing to say to jarls or guardsmen or anybody of the sort. You want'em told, you go tell'em yourself."

"But I'm just a kid, ma'am. They'd never believe—"

"Kid, my name's not Miss, Ma'am, M'lady, or anything of the sort. It's Brigitta. If you want to call me something, you call me that, you hear?"

"Yes, Miss Brigitta."

"Oh, fuc—fiddlesticks! I get stuck with a bloody kid and can't even cuss proper."

"I think it's 'properly,' Ma'am."

Hoenreid wasn't sure why she screamed, but she definitely showed that she had as fine a set of lungs as he'd ever heard and the thick, fallen limb she broke in half made him believe she was quite strong, too. Her face was bright red when she turned back toward him.

"Listen, you little sh...arrrh! Say, what's your name, kid?"

"Hoenreid, Ma'am."

She huffed. "Okay, Hoenri, I'm going to lay it on you straight. I'm going to Riften, straight to Riften, and nowhere other than Riften. Now, you're in trouble but you've helped me a little, so, as much as it burns me up, I guess I'm stuck helping you back, at least for a little while 'til we're even. You can come along as long as you stay out of the way. I really don't want your death on my...well, whatever the hell ya' call it." She paused for a moment before adding, "One more thing, Hoenri: if you get in trouble, don't expect me to come save ya'. I've got enough trouble protecting my own ass—ah, assets, that I don't need to add to it by having to protect yours, too."

Hoenreid replied, "Don't worry, Miss Brigitta. I don't have any assets for you to have to protect. Other than, Alvie, I guess, and he's not really mine. I'm just taking care of him until I can return him to Master Ricketsen. If he survived the dragon attack."

"Was this Ricketsen within the walls of Helgen?"

"I...I thinks so," replied Hoenreid.

"Then I wouldn't worry too much about him."

~ESV~

It was two days later when they arrived in Riften and Hoenreid was beginning to believe it was exactly like what he'd heard.

To start, Hoenreid's father had once told him that Riften was a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Riften, he knew, was famous throughout Tamriel for its beehives and honey. With the city on Lake Honrich and with all of the quiet inlets around the lake, he figured there must be some pond scum hiding somewhere, too.

Unfortunately, he was beginning to believe the villainy part might also be true. The people in Riften seemed out to be out to get each other, with that red-haired guy in the marketplace being among the worst of the lot. Hoenreid had spotted him as a trouble maker, but he really didn't know why. To make matters worse, Brigitta seemed to fit in and be right at home in the town, and seemed to be particularly interested in Mr. Red. She'd already helped Mr. Red get one of the merchants in the marketplace in trouble. Hoenreid was trying to figure out a way to fix the problem, but so far he'd had no ideas.

Finally, the boy had heard that there might be an even worse such place out there somewhere, but he had no idea where it might be. To him, Riften was the worst, with the sewer system they were walking through being just another example of how bad it was.

They were in the sewer due to Brigitta helping Mr. Red; in return, she'd been invited to stay in a place under the city. It was a pretty yucky place, but she'd allowed Hoenreid to come along to stay there, too, as long as he listened to her, stayed out of trouble, and promised not to tell anyone about it.

They'd been in the sewer tunnels for a little while when Hoenreid noticed that Miss Brigitta must have been a little scared after they ran into a couple of sewer dwellers. Mr. Red was holding her hand leading the way, and when they stopped, she moved up close to him. In the darkness, it looked like they were whispering in each other's ears. He couldn't hear what they were saying but it sounded like "Mmmm-mmm"-something.

They finally entered a place that was better lit but there were a number of people around and they all seemed to be staring at either Brigitta or Hoenreid or Alvie.

"Leave the kid and the lamb alone," called Mr. Red. He waved to Brigitta before moving into a different room.

She turned to Hoenreid. "Kid, you need to get lost for a while. Brynjolf and I got some, uh, business to discuss. Just go up in the city and keep your eyes open and listen to conversations. Be ready to tell me anything you hear later tonight, okay?"

"But I'd like to learn about business, Miss Brigitta," he said, his eyes wide at the prospect of learning something that might help him get ahead.

She planted her fists on her hips and stared at him for a few moments. "I'm sure you do, but I'm also pretty sure it will be several years before you need to learn this particular type. Now do like I said and get lost for a while. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said sadly. "Come on, Alvie."

He didn't know why but he heard her growl as he walked away and closed the door behind him. He also thought he heard a crossbar being set as he walked away.

"It must be pretty important secret business, Alvie, if they're going to that much trouble to keep people out."

The trip back through the Ragged Flagon was scary, with all the adults stopping what they were doing to watch him leading the lamb around the pool to the exit to the city through the sewers. That part was even scarier, since he had to do it quietly. There were a few bad people who lived in the upper part of the sewers who'd already started to chase them once, with one even shouting a promise to eat Alvie and him if he caught them. Red Brynjolf had intervened the first time, but he wasn't here now. Not particularly wanting to be on someone's menu, he went slowly and quietly, hiding in shadows as they went along.

Alvie, on the other hand, didn't particularly understand the need for quiet and wasn't a big fan of the dark. Hoenreid was leading him through the last room before the escape to the canal when Alvie decided to express his displeasure about it all. His plaintive bleat gave Hoenreid a fright leading the boy to go "Ah!" in surprise.

The bandit half asleep in the room was still under the effects of the bottle he'd traded for in the Flagon, so he sat up and cried out even louder than Hoenreid. This set off a cavalcade of bleats and screams and cries as Hoenreid pulled Alvie along as quickly as he could. The bandit fell trying to reach the lantern to pull off the hood, with Hoenreid stepping on his fingers and the lamb running across his back.

Once he made his way up top from the canal, Hoenreid wandered around for a little while, allowing Alvie to nibble at the grass and flowers until someone threw an apple at them and told them to go away. The boy was hungry so he pulled out the knife that Brigitta had found for him in the Helgen Keep and cut it in half, giving Alvie part with the bite since he wouldn't object. Hoenreid looked at the knife while they sat and ate. It wasn't as sharp as his old knife that he'd lost to the dragon, but with some honing, it would be serviceable. The best place to do that was the blacksmith's shop that he spotted on the other side of the marketplace, so he sheathed the blade and slowly led Alvie toward The Scorched Hammer.

"Heh, kid! Where'd you get that lamb?" called a guard. "Hold on there! I want to talk to you. Where are your parents?"

Hoenreid ran, pulling Alvie along until he could scoop him up and put him on his shoulders. He ducked into an alley and hid in the shadow as the guard ran by. The boy breathed a sigh of relief when Alvie didn't bleat or otherwise give away their presence this time. Peeking around the corner, he didn't see the guard, so he quickly backtracked until he almost reached the shop. He ducked down behind a barrel after seeing his pursuer had already returned.

A very thin woman sitting on the ground a short distance away was watching Hoenreid. She briefly put a single finger to her lips, before making a bony fist as her eyes followed someone just beyond the low wall that surrounded the market area. Looking back around, she finally relaxed her hand before looking back at the boy.

"Thank you, Ma'am," he said. "I'm Hoenreid."

"Pleasure, Hoenreid. Edda." She gave a smile that exposed horrid teeth, almost frightening the boy. Fortunately, she was looking out for the guard and didn't notice. "You watch that Dreake, boy. Watch 'im, I say. That Dreake's a mean 'un, he is. You an orphan?"

"I don't think so, Miss Edda, but I'm not exactly sure. I don't know where my father is, so I'm traveling with someone at the moment."

"Well, you best get with 'em then, before he catches you. He catches stray kids and takes 'em to the orphanage, whether they're actually orphans or not."

"I wanted to sharpen my knife so I was trying to get to the blacksmith shop to see if the big man would let me."

"Balimund? He's as good as Dreake is bad, but you want to speak to Asbjorn instead of Balimund. He'll understand better and be willing to help 'ya more. You got anything to eat?"

Hoenreid reached in his pouch and pulled out his last wedge of cheese. "Here, Miss Edda. You need this more than me."

She ate the cheese quickly before saying, "Now, stay down low but help me up. I'm going over here so you can slip in the front door of the shop and find Asbjorn."

The woman staggered over to a stall where she started speaking to the very pretty but extremely bored-looking woman running the place.

"Just a septim's all I ask," said Edda.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Go away!" was the woman's angry reply.

The guards moved that way and Hoenreid slipped out of the marketplace and made his way to the entry of The Scorched Hammer.

~ESV~


End file.
